In the past, it has been well known that many entrepreneurs in various fields have effected their own marketing activities by making full use of various kinds of marketing tools and the like in an attempt to conduct market research and invite people to become their loyal customer or registered members.
In this context, an example of marketing will be explained, where a brochure is used as one of marketing tools. Namely, for instance, an entrepreneur distributes to each of customers a brochure giving his or her URL (Uniform Rescue Locator; i.e. an Internet standard means for indicating a location where a desired information exists on the Internet and a guidance for access to the information). Then, the customer inputs the URL in the brochure into his or her terminal device and gains access to a website of the entrepreneur. Upon such customer's access being made, the entrepreneur collects information about the customer on the website and thereby conducts marketing research, invites the customer to become a registered member, and so forth (hereinafter, this shall be referred to as a “first prior art”).
Further, another example of marketing will be explained, where a direct mail is used as one of marketing tools. In this case, an entrepreneur sends to each of customers a direct mail giving his or her URL likewise as stated above. Then, the customer inputs the URL in the direct mail into his or her terminal device and gains access to a website of the entrepreneur. Upon such customer's access, the entrepreneur collects information about the customer on the website and thereby conducts marketing research, invites the customer to become a registered member, and so forth (hereinafter, this shall be referred to as a “second prior art”).
Still another example of marketing will be explained, where a CD recording medium (i.e. compact disc) is used as one of marketing tools. In such case, as an alternative mode of the marketing tool, an entrepreneur records his or her URL in a CD medium, as similar to the foregoing examples, and sends the CD medium to each of customers. Then, the customer operates his or her terminal device to record therein such URL given in the CD and gains access to a website of the entrepreneur. Upon such customer's access, the entrepreneur collects information about the customer on the website and thereby conducts marketing research, invites the customer to become a registered member, and so forth (hereinafter, this shall be referred to as a “third prior art”). In this example, there is eliminated the necessity to manually input the URL, and therefore, it can be expected that the rate of access to the website will become increased higher than in the case of the foregoing brochure or direct mail.
However, the afore-stated first prior art has been found defective in that 1) no new attractive aspect is attained due to many other similar cases being seen around, 2) labor costs are incurred for distribution of the brochures, and 3) the tool distributed to the customers contains nothing but the notification of URL, as a result of which, the tool itself has no other useful functions and remains the same as ever, not appealing to the customers.
Further, the second prior art has been found defective in that 1) a rate of customers' responses to the direct mails is low, 2) the number of customers' accesses to the website is small, and 3) the entrepreneur can not obtain so much profits in return for his or her considerable amount of labors for sending the direct mails. Still further, such second prior art will not cause any further business development, such as integration of entrepreneur's website with relevant shops or reintroduction of goods or services.
In addition, the third prior art has been found defective in that 1) it involves preparation of CD recording media and mailing or distribution of the same, thus resulting in a vast increase of costs, and 2) while the number of access to the website may become increased more than the foregoing first and second prior arts, an entrepreneur can not obtain a satisfactory result such as customers' registration.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to provide a communication card system, communication system, and web-based information transmission/processing device, which obviate the above-stated defects and is easily capable of: realizing effective guide and induction to an entrepreneur's website; constructing customer's database; providing questionnaire or quiz on a website; giving an incentive for playing action items including games on a website; and further, integrating the website with relevant shops and/or purchased items.